Black Vow, White Love
by ClreonRT
Summary: An angel was left astray at the street. When she thought her life was over, a warm touch brought her back. Based off the song Alluring Secret Black Vow.
1. Meeting

**Hello! I'm back with a new story. As the title suggested, it comes from the song "Alluring Secret Black Vow". I'm sure some of you read fics that are based off this song. So, that's why I made a version with our goddesses here :3**  
 **I'm not quite sure whether I'll be including all 9 of them here but I'll see what fits the best.**

 **Oh and, consistent uploads are not promised.**  
 **Disclaimer: All the characters are from Love Live! School Idol Festival. I do not own any of them. (I wish I could :3)**

* * *

At the Sanctus Valhalla, where peace and joy was what it suppose to resemble, a brawl was breaking out at the High Court of the Angels.

"Father, I was only saving the cat that was stuck on the tree!"

"Fool! Have you lost your mind? That was a black cat! It's a trap! I had taught you to never get any closer to those black creatures! They're demons! What if you accidentally brought them back to the palace? Peace will be disrupted!" A bearded-man with a silver crown sitting on the glass throne smacked the armrest with his fist, creating a web of cracks across the lower part of the throne.

A hand laid itself onto the king's shoulder and a soft voice sounded beside him. "Your Majesty, I'm sure she was just being kind. Can you forg-"

"NO!" The queen shuddered when the king suddenly shouted. " Such act shall not forgiven. Besides, why were you there at the Borderline? I suppose I had long restricted entry to that area."

The girl gasped as she stuttered to explain the truth. "I...I just...wanted to get down to the earth once...t-to witness the human's daily ongoings..."

She hesitantly looked up to meet the king's eyes only to find an unamused gaze that was focusing solely on her. "Very well then..."

He closed his amber eyes for a few breath before he opened them again, a cold stare then bore into the girl's own eyes.

"Guards, send her down to the earth and make sure that she will never come back again."

In an instant, the hubbub of gasps and shocking exclamation of the courtiers filled the hall. Two armed men at the entrance walked forward and lifted the girl by the arm before dragging her off the court.

"Y-Your Majesty, please reconsider!" The queen cried out but the king hold his hand up and shook his head.

"Impossible. Such behaviour can not be tolerated, even if she's our daughter. I will have her take it as a lesson in order for her to grow up."

The girl struggled as she turned herself to take one last look at the king - a disappointed and stern stare - before the cold metal door came into view as it closed and shut her out forever.

* * *

In the middle of the merciless night, where strong winds were sweeping through the street, threatening to engulf anything on its path, a fallen angel was sobbing while hugging herself tightly from the never-ending coldness surrounding her. Her body was in a deteriorating state, her face pale from dehydration and she was shuddering in pain from the scratches all over her body, yet no one that passed by bothered to even spare her way a glance.

She slowly dragged herself towards the dark alley and found a spot beside the dumpster. She rested her stiffen back against the cold brick wall of the small cottage located at the end of the street. Beside her laid a torn straw mat. She took it and uncoiled it before placing it on the floor and she slept on it.

But before she fell into the slumber, a click and the shut of the door caught her attention as she opened her eyes, but quickly closed it as it was only a maid coming out of the inn to dump the rubbish. When the maid saw the girl, she immediately pinched her nose and threw the rubbish into the dumpster before leaving as quick as possible.

The fallen angel sighed when the maid was out of sight. _She probably thought that I am a begglar. It's not like I can blame her anyway, given how I look right now._ She then tried to fall back into her sleep.

A few minutes later, another door clicked open. She heard the footsteps approached her and stopped, probably someone that wanted to throw their rubbish again.

But there was no sound of any object hitting the inside of the dumpster, only a zipping sound. She then felt something soft rubbing her wet blue hair. She opened her eyes and found that a beautiful woman was smiling at her, she had the sweetest smile the angel had ever seen. After a few moment of staring she realized the young lady was drying her hair with a grey towel.

Not only the woman had a beautiful face, but a melodious voice as well.

"What is a girl like you doing outside in the cold night? Look at all the scratches! Come with me, I will treat your injury." The ashen-haired woman grabbed the angel's hand making the angel flinched slightly but eventually she gave in to the warmth touch of the other woman. The lady lifted the angel up to her feet and led her into the cottage.

What greeted the angel when she got inside was a sharp light that contrasted the darkness lurking outside. The angel had to adjust her vision by blinking a few times before her eyes landed on the bright blue wallpaper adorning the room. It was decorated with murals of flocks of birds flying freely in the sky, with a few dust of clouds lining the middle. Without her realization, the angel moved her hand over the birds.

"I painted them with my mother when I was four, it's a bit surprising that the color still lasted even till now." The angel looked at the woman as she trailed her fingers dreamily along the mural, a wistful smile suggesting that the painting must had brought up some sad memories. After a few seconds of reminiscing, the grey-haired woman's doleful eyes suddenly widened as if she remembered something.

"Ahh, my bad! I forgot about your injury! Please sit down on that chair and give me a few moment, I will be back." The woman hurried to a room of what seemed like a kitchen. The angel took a seat on the chair as instructed. Beside the chair, a photo frame was sitting on a tea table. There was a young girl and a woman hugging her from behind. Both of them had matching eye colour and the hair colour of the woman was a darker gray than the little girl. At the corner of the photo scribbled a few words in faint blue ink, so small yet noticeable, it wrote 'I miss you'.

...

"Sorry for the wait!" The grey-haired woman called out as she emerged from the kitchen with some bandages and antiseptic on hand. She then knelt down in front of the fallen angel and began cleaning the wounds. While the woman was patching the injuries, she spoke. " I'm sorry that my house is kinda small, hope you wouldn't mind. Oh! By the way, my name is Kotori Minami. May I know your name?"

"Sonoda Umi."

"Umi, as of the sea?"

Umi nodded in response.

"I see. So, Umi-chan, can I touch them? I've been wondering about them since I saw you back then at the alley." Kotori pointed behind Umi and the angel looked behind her back.

"Y-you can see them?!" Impossible. The king had make sure that no human can see Umi's wings before she was thrown to the mortal world.

"Yes. You're an angel, am I right?" Kotori tidied the remnants of the cut bandage as she walked to the trash bin outside the kitchen and threw them.

Umi silently nodded.

Kotori sat down on the chair in front of Umi and cocked her head. "Isn't angels suppose to be in the heaven? "

"Yes, however, I was expelled from there because of my mistake. And I don't think I can ever go back again." said the angel as she lowered her head in distress. A hand then found its way to the top of Umi's head and started caressing it. "Then, why don't you stay here together with me?"

Umi looked up to see that pair of amber in front of her lightened with sincerity. "I...I feel bad for imposing you."

"Don't worry! I wouldn't mind having a company. Besides, I have been wanting one...Its just feel a bit lonely to have nobody to talk to..." Grief began to take over the woman's eyes that was filled with brightness just a while ago. This made Umi thought about the words on the photo. She now had a faint understanding of the message.

A deep part of Umi ached seeing the sight. She thought that such kind woman didn't deserve such sadness. She wanted to wipe the sorrow away, wanted to bring back the light in the lady, so she abruptly grabbed hold of Kotori's hand - whom was startled from the sudden action - and looked straight into her eyes.

"Umm, Minami-san, I...I will...If you don't mind, please let me stay with you! I'll make sure you won't have to feel lonely again!"

Kotori's eyes watered as she hugged the blunette. "Thank you...this means a lot to me." She slowly pulled apart from the hug but her hands never left Umi's hands.

Kotori let out a baby smile. "Let's take care of each other from now on, no matter what happen."

* * *

A few weeks had passed since they've been living together. They relied on each other on every occasion since then. Umi got to know more about Kotori as they shared details and stories about themselves before they met each other. Every morning, they would venture deep into the forest at the countryside and settled down on the spot in the prairie where they can get a good view of the deer, cows, wildebeest and other herbivores that were grazing on the open meadow. Kotori would set up the easel and Umi would stand beside her as she watched Kotori paint the landscape. Day by day, Umi learned the technique of painting.

One day in the middle of spring, Umi suggested that they climb the mountain to paint the sunset and Kotori agreed.

Before they left, Kotori packed a lunch box for two. Umi offered to carry the canvas and the easel as they climbed the slanting hill. When they felt tired, they paused their journey and sat on a huge tree stump to have lunch. They chatted about almost everything as they rested. After satisfying the gurgling stomach, they resumed the journey. At the nick of the time, they arrived to see the dazzling sun began to set in the gold-painted sky. They hurriedly set up the equipment and began capturing every curves and lines of the scenery onto that blank space that was waiting to be dressed with pure elegance. They painted and painted, until the sun was now resting in its nest.

Umi wiped away the sweat on her forehead as she inspected the opus of her hard work. Kotori had to suppress her amusement when she looked at her companion's artwork. It was a splendid work done for a beginner that had just pick up the skill of painting. Still, Umi was no match for Kotori's sense of art. When Umi looked at Kotori's painting, it felt like she was staring at the scenery from a window, so genuine and alive.

Umi was truly captivated not only by the painting, but the painter as well.

She wondered why there's a tingling feeling inside of her whenever Kotori is near. It's not like Umi hated being with her, it's the other way round, she enjoyed staying by the painter's side. She might have brushed it off if she didn't caught the moment Kotori brushed her sidebangs to the back of her ear. As if on time, the breezy evening wind flew past them and Kotori's grey hair fluttered behind her. The scene made Umi wondered about the true form of an angel.

Umi continued to stare at Kotori without realizing that the ashen-haired girl had finished packing up and was ready to leave.

"Umi-chan, are you okay?" Kotori called out as she saw Umi looking at her. "W-what? A-ah, it's you Kotori. Um, I'm fine." Umi blushed as she realized she was caught staring at the object of her affection. Kotori giggled softly at the cute reaction from the angel. "It's getting late now, we should go home as soon as possible."

"R-right." Umi stuttered as she once again offered to carry the painting equipment. Both of them walked side by side with each other as they headed back to their warm little nest.

As the women slowly disappeared from view, a shadow figure surfaced from a tree, a dark aura surrounded the figure as it hummed with a sinister smile. "An angel with a human...interesting, I'm dying to see how the angel will last without breaking down." The figure took a last look at the trail where the girls left and disappeared into thin air, leaving a dead tree in its wake.

* * *

 ***bows and winks***

 _Adios!_


	2. Flame of Jealousy

**Disclaimers: All the characters are from Love Live! School Idol Festival. They're not mine.**

* * *

It was a sunny day when the town mayor had organized the Brewhile Festival, where anything that is blue,red and white in colour were put on a sale. Hawkers here and there were busy advertising their goods, children nagging for their mother to buy them packs of gummy candies, as well as musicians strumming lutes and blowing cornetts at the corner of the performance stage. The sound of every each of these occurrences lived the street up to its prosperity.

"Wow Umi-chan, look at that! They're dancing!" Kotori linked her arms with Umi's as she tried to drag her closer to the stage. The action startled Umi, as the freshly steamed bun fell off her hand. Instinctively, she reached to grab the bun but she was a tad bit too late. She can only watched and mourned for the fallen bun as she was dragged off by Kotori.

Umi was brought back from her devastated state when Kotori poked her cheek to gain her attention. She looked around to see Kotori pointing towards the centre of the stage. Before focusing her attention to the performance, she noticed that the crowds had been gathering around them. Unconsciously, she shifted closer and wrapped her hand around Kotori's.

On the stage, a man in tight dark green trouser and white figure-hugging shirt was holding a woman by her waist as they danced along the music. She wore a light blue dress with the left shoulder bare, a golden snake arm cuff winding up the said arm. The man grabbed the woman's hand as he swirled her around in circle with graceful stances. They danced as if they were floating in air. He then proceeded to pull the woman to his body with a jerk before landing his hand at the area slightly above her butt, their face close as their breath blended in-

"That is shameless!" Umi shouted as she shielded her eyes from taking in more of the scene. People around them immediately turned their head towards the sudden exclamation.

Just when a housewife beside them was about to reprimand Umi for disturbing the show, Kotori put herself between them as she placated the housewife whilst smiling apologetically. She excused themselves as she led Umi away from the crowd, ignoring the red faces and annoyed glares in the process.

When they thought they were far enough from the crowd, they stopped next to a jewelry stall. Kotori sighed softly before looking at Umi. She had her head lowered and a guilty expression plastered her face. "I'm sorry Kotori, for being so loud and sudden. I must have embarrassed you before your acquaintance. Back then, I just couldn't stand seeing such intense skinship. I'm sorry Kotori, you must have think that I'm rude and ill-mannered..."

"Umi-chan." Kotori called out softly. "It's okay don't worry, I don't think badly of you or anything. Everyone has their own view on the boundary of privacy. You shouted because you are uncomfortable seeing such thing. That's why I won't blame you. It's alright now, so don't be sad anymore, okay?" Kotori grabbed the angel's hand on her palm as she placed her own hand on the back of Umi's stretched hand, patting lightly to reassure the blue-haired angel.

Umi lifted her head and nodded weakly.

Kotori gave her a smile before noticing a faint glint at the corner of her left eye.

The jewelry stall had a small display stand that was filled with refined ornaments. On the second level, a gleaming bracelet caught Kotori's eye. It was embellished with a tiger's eye that gave off an antique allure. Along the thread were silver leaves on four sides opposite to each other. It was quite alluring, especially the unique pattern of the brown gem.

Kotori moved closer to get a better look with Umi followed behind. This alerted the stall keeper that was reading a book.

"Welcome! May I help you, young lady?" The keeper laid the book on the side-table as she stood up.

The painter looked up to see a mature woman with her purple hair tied in a low twin-tails. Her turquoise eyes bored into Kotori's amber orbs in a way that made people uncomfortable yet unable to advert their eyes. She held a mysterious aura as she studied Kotori's appearance. It made Kotori gulp but she decided to ignore it so she can ask for the bracelet.

"Oh, hello miss. Can I take a look at that bracelet?" Kotori pointed.

"Sure." The woman took the bracelet out and showed it to Kotori. "You had quite a good taste. This bracelet is made of gem stones from the Aurora Cave. That place is known for its finest quality of golds and precious stones. It has a mystical effect on the bearer. That said, whoever wore it will be blessed with blissfulness as one can get whatever they wish for while holding onto it." She stopped talking for a brief while before adding, "And if someone as fine as you wear this, the gem will shine even finer."

Kotori's cheek flushed pink at the compliment. "O-oh..."

Holding the bracelet on her palm, Kotori fell into deep thought. _It was really beautiful. I like the color of the stone. Somehow it reminds me of..._

She turned to Umi and held the bracelet up next to the angel's face. A ray of sunlight reflected on the gem as she saw the similarity between the stone and Umi's eye. The angel darted her eyes curiously between Kotori and the bracelet, wondering what the painter is doing.

In the end, Kotori purchased the bracelet with an extremely high price.

Before walking away with Kotori, Umi took a look back at the purple-haired woman as she felt her staring. She was proofed right when the woman was staring intensely at her with an unreadable expression. Feeling weird, Umi scuttled off to Kotori's side, almost tripped by her own feet in the process.

"Wahhhh, this is really beautiful!"

"Are you sure? It is really expensive for such a small thing." questioned the angel worriedly.

"Umi-chan, this is called a jewelry. The materials that were used in making this, that's where the value comes from. I think it's reasonable. Besides, I like it. It reminds me of you."

"M-me?"

"Yeah, you." Kotori added a wink only to make the angel even more curious.

"Hey Umi-chan, can you help me put this on?" Kotori handed the bracelet to Umi. She took it and secured it tightly around Kotori's wrist. Kotori thanked Umi as she shook her arm, making the silver leaves dangled freely. "Hmm, this is really nice after all."

After that, they walked along the street for a little longer and decided to head back home since they felt tired.

* * *

Holding back her smirk, she watched as the pair of girls left her stall. It seems like her job here was done. With a snap of her finger, the jewelry in front of her melted away like a candle. The colorful liquid evaporated just as it touched the floor. The stall on the other hand, was set fire and it burned until there was nothing, not even ashes. Then she vanished with the flame.

"Damn it you big boobs maniac, you're so cold! Burning it until there was no trace of it. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to beg that stupid Maki to build it just for this occasion?" The devil crossed her arms as she glared dagger at the purple-haired witch. "I even have to sacrifice my precious time flying around the region to look for those worthless gems!"

"Chill it, Nicocchi. It wasn't like your hard work didn't pay off. Now you got you trap set up, it's only a matter of time 'til the rabbit falls into the trap." said Nozomi in a calm, unhurried voice. She walked closer to a black container and opened it, revealing a huddle of rats. "Hello, my babies." She caressed one of the rat softly, feeling its furry hide under her skin. The rodent relaxed under the touch as it a tiny squeak. Feeling contented, she stuck her crooked and sharp index finger right into the rat's middle, aiming straight to its heart before lifting it up. She watched as the rat struggled, the flow of its life draining off slowly. When the rat stopped moving, the witch licked the blood dripping down to her wrist.

Watching the scene unfold, Nico's lips distorted in disgust. _I should never get on her bad side. Who knows how much of me will be left if I do so._..

"Well, you're not wrong though." scowled Nico with a huff. She twirled her finger in a swift motion and a pink flame lit up from her palm. The flame died down a second later, leaving behind a glowing mirror. A view of an blue-haired maiden talking with someone emerged within. "To be honest, I can't wait to get my hands on her."

* * *

The next day, Umi woke up earlier than usual. She decided to make breakfast for Kotori as a thank you for bringing her out to the festival yesterday. It was a fun moment to have and Umi was sure that she will remember it.

After preparing the breakfast. she went and took a bath. As she was dressing up, a twinkle at the table next to the closet caught her attention. It was the bracelet Kotori bought yesterday at the jewelry stall. At first glance, it was indeed beautiful and attractive, Umi thought. However, the more she looked at it, the more she felt something pulling her towards it. As if something was hidden inside the gem, watching their every moves.

Umi shook her head to clear all her skepticism. But another thing on the table stirred yet again her curiosity.

It was a maroon locket with a double heart design. There was a craving at the the part where the two hearts overlapped. Umi picked it up and read the words.

 _"My dear Kotori"_

Umi stared silently at the words before clicking open the lock and flipped it open.

What laid inside the locket made Umi's breath hitched.

It was a photo of Kotori and a young man. He had his hair tied up to a half ponytail, smooth ginger tresses fall just perfectly on the broad shoulders. In the picture, his blue eyes curved into a smile, adorning his cute and fair features. He had his left hand supporting himself on the arm of the milky wooden fence while he leaned against it. A fuzzy caramel coat slouched at the blades of his shoulder, the right sleeve outstretched, embracing Kotori. The distance between them was nigh. Both of them were smiling merrily like a newly-wed.

The locket began to vibrate in her palm and Umi realized that she was breathing very hard. Her chest raising and falling hastily as her eyes traced every details of the man offered in the picture. She can feel an uncomfortable heat building up her chest, a strong wave of emotion surged through her, hitting every inch of her nerves. She was about to smash the locket to the wall when a light groan surprised her.

"Nghh..."

Umi turned to found that Kotori was shifting in her bed and looked like she was about to wake up. A sense of panic haunted Umi as she fumbled with the maroon locket. Luckily, she managed to avoid getting caught as she placed the locket back to the table just as Kotori sat up on the edge of the bed and slowly lid her eyes opened.

Kotori let out a raspy yawn as she adjusted her blurry vison by rubbing her eyes. When she saw Umi looking at her, she flashed Umi an angelic smile while failing to notice how nervous the angel was.

"You're early today Umi-chan."

"A-ah, I-I just want to make bre-breakfast for you...as a thanks for yesterday..."

"Uwahh, breakfast from Umi-chan. I can't wait for it!" Kotori jumped off the bed, seemingly excited to taste the angel's cooking.

Umi let out a giggle before putting a hand on her waist. "But you have to brush your teeth first."

"Okay!" The ashen-haired girl skipped excitedly to the bathroom while leaving Umi in the room. Umi relaxed her stiffened shoulder as she let out a breathy sigh.

Before Umi left the room to the kitchen, she took one last look at the locket laying on the table. The strange feeling still reside in the depth of her heart.

* * *

 **To be honest I still think Nico suits the little devil character the best.**

 _Adios!_


	3. Pandora's Box

**Disclaimers: All the characters are from Love Live! School Idol Festival.**

* * *

 _"Three...two...one! Are you ready? Here I come!"_

 _Hearing the voice, she panicked. Apparently she hadn't found a place to hide. She tried searching behind the bench, underneath the stairs, and even inside a bush. But it was no use, every each of them was occupied by another player. Without much of a choice, she climbed up to the tunnel slide with the intention of hiding inside it. However, she was again too late as she found a boy struggling to hold himself with all his limbs against the tunnel's wall from sliding down. He noticed her presence and shook his head, offering her a strained warning._

 _As she heard footsteps getting closer, her heartbeat hastened. She didn't want to lose, because it would means she had to collect the laundry from the cranky old woman at the laundry shop down the street. The last time she did, she remembered having a nightmare of the old lady smooching her cheek with her row of yellow moldy rocks sticking in and out. Rotten cheese was nothing compared to her breath._

 _She shivered as she thought of the rotten teeth. Just thinking about it sent chills down the back of her spine like crawling spiders._

 _After climbing down the stairs silently, she sneaked to the orange-coated playhouse, feet lightened to small and quiet taps as she tip-toed to her only resolve. Before she got close, a hand suddenly covered her mouth as she felt herself being dragged into an abandoned huge tube on the other side of the playground, which was considered as one of the restricted area. The place was sheltered by towers of cedar tree, some of it showing signs of old age. The reason this place was restricted was because it connected to the other two worlds, namely The Devils' Horde and The Human's Dwelling. Only the strong-willed and trained physique can enter the first while the second being a place where angels carry out their sacred duty as guardian of the mortals._

 _Desperately gasping, whether for breath or in fear, she scratched her assailant's hand.  
_

 _"Oww! Umi, it's me!"_

 _Umi perked up at the familiar voice. The hand bailed from her mouth, and she felt the other person sitting next to her while caressing the scrape on her skin._

 _Umi turned to the left and stared at the girl. She too, had feathery white wings just like Umi. "Urgh, I can't believe you scratched me like that, now it looks like its going to leave a scar."_

 _Feeling guilty yet still in too much shock to get words out of her mouth, Umi closed her eyes and dipped her head low as an apology to her childhood friend. "Ahh! Don't be don't be, it's not like I'm angry, so cheer up, 'kay?" The girl lifted Umi's chin up and showered her with a dazzling smile. Both of them were already acquainted ever since they were a toddler. Their father would always bring them out to have fun. From recreational activities such as fishing, hiking, to traning lessons like water-controlling and bow-making sessions. They were never apart, being peas in a pod, they were expected to become a remarkable adult and possess the quality of a superb ruler._

 _The girl next to Umi leaned her back against the wall and diverted her eyes towards the sea of night sky scattered with clusters of winking stars. The tiny lights twinkled and twinkled as hard as they could, like they were trying to illuminate the dark, moonless night, despite their petite size in that vast and endless land. There were two of them that were noticeably close, their closeness make them shone even brighter._

 _She grabbed Umi's small hand in her slightly bigger palm."That place, do you know what it is, Umi? It's where the human live. They are the ones we are assigned to protect when we get older." mused the young girl as she answered her own question. Umi joined her in her star-gazing after shifting to a comfortable position._

 _Letting out a breath of acknowledgement, the blue-haired angel drifted into her own thought, sentences from her childhood friend gradually became a slur. She wondered what kind of human is living on the other side. Are they similar to her? Her father once told her that they looked almost the same as the angels. Just without the wings and any supernatural ability. What kind of human will she be assigned to guard when she got older? Is she able to fulfill her job and protect that particular human from danger? And is there anything beyond the relationship of an angel as a guardian with a human?_

* * *

A smell of freshly-grounded coffee beans tickled the senses in her nose. It made her opened her eyes to find Kotori brewing coffee in the kitchen. She hoisted herself up and stretched her arching back with an unavoidable groan. She let her feet carried her to kitchen.

"Good morning, Kotori."

"Ah, good morning, Umi-chan! I'm just about to finish here. Would you mind setting the forks and knives to the table?"

Umi nodded and proceeded to grab the cutlery from the cabinet on the left wing in the kitchen. Just after she set them onto the table, Kotori placed the dishes between the fork and knives. They sat in their seats opposite to each other and started eating their breakfast.

"So Umi-chan, how was yesterday?" said Kotori as she cut the rolled omelette into smaller portion and forked one into her mouth.

Taking a sip of the coffee, Umi answered. "Well, it could be worse, but somehow I managed to hold myself from knocking her block off. Aside from that, we finished building the fence without much problem."

"Rin-chan is being Rin-chan huh, haha." Kotori laughed light-heartedly. "I'm sure Hanayo-chan was having a hard time keeping Rin at bay."

"She was. I can't believe the two of them can live under the same roof like that, given how complete opposite their personality is. Yet, I cannot deny that both of them are happy. Looking at them, it's like I'm watching the life of two farmers in a secluded ranch, depending and supporting each other until the end of their life. I can see that they are living a simple and carefree life."

"Yes, I think so too! How nice is it to have someone stay by your side forever! Especially someone that you love and care." Umi noticed the last part was particularly soft and dreamy. Somehow, her mind was brought back to the photo inside the locket.

It really did bother her a lot since that day. She couldn't keep her mind off that person in the picture. Was it her brother? No, it couldn't be. They were not even half alike. Was it just a close friend of Kotori? But can close friend of the different gender get so intimate like that? She was not sure. She couldn't help but to think of the last possibility.

Kotori's lover. Someone that is special to her. And just like what Kotori said, someone that loves and cares for her.

Umi found herself gripping the hem of her shirt as she furrowed her brows. Her mind was clouded by negative emotions. She could not stand to see Kotori having someone special other than her.

"Umi-chan, are you feeling alright? You seem to be in pain. Do you have a fever? Let me check it for you."Just when Kotori was about to reach her hand out to feel the angel's forehead, Umi instantly grabbed it and startled her.

The angel gazed at her with the same troubled look. She tightened her grip, as if trying to channel what she was feeling to Kotori. "Do you have someone you-" She was interrupted by a ringing sound.

"Ah, the phone. Sorry Umi-chan, but can you wait for awhile?" Umi let go of Kotori's hand. Kotori then stood up and headed for the telephone.

"Hello? I'm Kotori."

Umi watched as Kotori talked at the telephone. What was she going to ask Kotori just now? She was sure that the question was something that she'll regret asking if she heard the answer.

"Okay, this Saturday? Sure, I'll leave that night open." said Kotori before she put the handset back to its original place.

"I'm sorry, what was it that you want to ask me?" She turned to Umi. Umi adverted her eyes as she spoke. "No, it's nothing important."

Kotori knew Umi was hesitating about something, but she decided not to pressure her into it. She will speak when she wants to, and Kotori will wait patiently for that.

A brief silence settled in the morning crisp basking in the kitchen. None of them made a movement for the next couple of seconds. The coffee long lost its earthy fragrance, the omelettes were casted off on the white plate, the sponginess slowly leaking out.

Kotori glanced at the wall clock before breaking the silence. "It's almost time. Umi-chan, I'm off to work." She crouched down at the front door to put on her shoes. "Can you help me clean up the dishes?"

Umi watched as Kotori grabbed her handbag on top of the shoe rack before turning the doorknob. "Sure, I'll do it. Have a good day." Kotori turned around to wave and Umi returned the gesture.

Her gaze on the painter never faltered even after the door was closed.

* * *

The chime hanging on top of the door rang, signalling the arrival of customers. A grey-haired girl stepped into the restaurant and looked around until she found her objective. It was by the far end of the room, a young man was sitting beside a table. His lips twitched into a bright smile when he noticed the girl. He stood up and pulled out the cushioned chair for the lady. She thanked him as she she sat onto it, the boy sliding into his seat as well.

"Hello, Kotori-chan! It's been a long time since I saw you. I missed you so much."

Kotori chuckled with a hand covering her mouth. "You're exaggerating, Hotaka-kun. It's only been three weeks since we visited the barnyard."

"It is still consider very long! There's not a day that passes without me missing you!" The ginger-haired boy exclaimed in a rather loud voice, it didn't fail to earn a few glances to their table.

"Okay,okay, I got it. I missed you too." The words made Hotaka beamed and at the same time the paleness of his cheek was washed away, replaced by a slash of pink. "Ehehe, you're making me blush." He looked down at the table as he scratched his head sheepishly.

A waiter then came by the table with two menus in hand. They took it and placed their order after making their choice.

The dinner went by smoothly. They talked about all kind of stuff while munching on their meals. Hotaka even brought up their marriage. Therefore, they decided right then that they would set the date and the place where they are going to held the ceremony.

While they were on a stroll back to Kotori's home, Hotaka paused in the middle of the garden at the southeast region of the town. The absence of a body next to her made Kotori turned around. She saw him looking at her with a paper bag at his hand. He ambled a few steps toward her and lifted the bag up.

He scratched his cheek as he stuttered, "U-um, t-this is for you. H-hope you like it..."

The way he looked at her expectantly while trying hard to fight the blush that was crawling up to his cheek made Kotori wanted to squeeze his cheek. But there's no way she's doing it. No matter how cute he is, he is still a guy, and pride is definitely what a man must protect.

She just chuckled instead and took in the paper bag. She pulled open the bag and marveled when she saw the content. He took it out and secured it around her neck, letting it fall just perfectly on her shoulder.

It was a knitted scarf soaked in teal. It wrapped around her like was it was supposed to be. It being slightly oversized only serve to bring out more of her cuteness. She brushed her fingers along the warm homespun. They were soft and smooth, just like a newborn's scalp.

"Do you like it?"

Kotori beamed. "Yes, I like it very much! Thank you, Hotaka-kun!"

He smiled delightedly. "I'm glad. Shall we go home then?"

"Sure!"

After that, the two of them continued on their way home hand in hand.

* * *

"I'm home." announced Kotori as she took off her heels and placed them back to the shoe rack. When she heard no reply, she walked to the living room and saw the blunette sitting on the sofa, her head turned to the side to look at the window. Kotori noticed white and tiny cotton-like particles started to descend from the sky. She slightly tightened the scarf as she let a puff of chilly breath escaped her mouth.

"Umi-chan, you haven't sleep yet? It's late already." She placed her handbag on the floor before sitting beside the angel.

"I'm amused you still realize how late it is, thought you had too much fun until you've forgotten about the time." Kotori was taken aback by the words. Surely she was a bit over the curfew time because of the incident at the garden, yet, she didn't expect Umi to be this bothered.

"O-oh, I was running late because something happened along the way home." This made the blunette looked at her. Kotori almost jumped when she was meet with a pair of cold and hollow brown orbs. She wondered why she felt nervous under the stare.

The angel trailed the homespun around Kotori's neck. As if knowing what she was thinking in her mind, Kotori answered. " I-it's a gift from the friend just now. How sharp he is to know that I'm feeling co-"

"Is he your fiance?"

Kotori gasped. She was truly dumbfounded. How did Umi know she had a fiance?

"U-umm, I...uhh...y-yes, he is. I'm sorry that I didn't tel-"

A strong force pushed her down. She let out a groan as her head hit the arm of the sofa. Following the impact, she felt a weight on top of her lower stomach, as if something was straddling her, then two more forces pinned her arms to the sofa. The grip on her wrist was so tight she swore it could cut the flow of blood to her hand. The sudden attack made her heart derailed from its original beat. It sped up to the point she can feel it threatened to jump out of its cage.

What surprised her most was the fact that a pair of lips was on her own.

And then, Kotori realized something.

Umi was kissing her. Forcefully.

Kotori mentally screamed. She wanted to pull away. She tried wriggling out of the grip but alas, it was too strong for her to oppose. As if feeling the resistance, the angel pressed her lips even further.

Kotori whined as a hand snaked down from her wrist to the cup of her left brassiere. At this point, her body was terribly trembling in fear.

It took every ounce of strength and energy in her to knock her own head against Umi's.

The blunette groaned in pain as she covered her forehead with her hands. Seizing the opportunity, the painter pushed Umi back and scampered away from the angel. She stood in front of the door of her bedroom, a hand on the broom and another on her mouth. She focused on every movement the angel was making.

When the angel came to her senses and thought about what happened earlier, guilt started to consume her whole self. And then, she stared at Kotori's shocked face.

No, she didn't mean what she just did. When she saw Kotori walking home with that guy, her stomach churned and burned. The fact that their hands were entwining didn't smooth her jealousy, it only serves to flame her anger. She blamed herself for letting the jealousy get the best of her.

"K-Kotori. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do this. I don't know what come over to me. I-I-I just couldn't control it. P-Please, forgive me..." She took a step closer and tried her best to ignore it when Kotori took one backwards.

"Don't come near me…" warned Kotori in a small and low voice as she held the broom in front of her.

"N-no…please don't go away…" begged Umi in a pleading manner.

"Get out…"

"Huh? N-no way, Kotori. You're joking right?"

"I said get out!"

Umi gasped. Never had she seen Kotori get so angry. To raise her voice and screamed like that, Umi knew she had crossed the line.

She made one last attempt to make up. She tried to inch towards Kotori but stopped when the ashen-haired woman furrowed her brows at her.

She felt her eyes stung, and her vision blurred.

The more she stood, the more she felt her eyes watered. Her knees threatened to buckle as she made her way to the front door. She opened the door and before she left, she dared herself to look back. A horrified look was the last thing she wanted Kotori to show her.

The chills of the dreadful winter welcomed her depart. She took heavy steps as she strode away from the cottage. From the place she once called home.

* * *

The evening cold breezed past her shivering body as she strode through the night street. The blinking light of the lamppost shone upon her pity self, illuminating the amount of lost shouldered by a young body. She heard children laughing ahead of her. The laughter reminded her of the old days, where she play tag and hide-and-seek with her group of friends. Her mind drifted to her childhood friend and her parents.

 _I wonder what are they doing right now..._

She laughed bitterly. Here she is, thinking about her actual -former- home, when she was at her lowest ebb, when she had nothing left except for the marine-blue shirt Kotori sewn for her last month, and the white pair of wings hanging from her back.

"What use is there for these wings if I cannot even protect someone I love..." She kicked a crushed tin on the floor in front of her to a side.

"Well, I beg to differ."

Umi stood rooted at the ground, her eyes narrowing in alert. She looked everywhere around her but found no sign of the source of that voice. When she thought she was just hearing things, another voice called out to her, it was different than the first voice, it was slightly deeper and smoky.

"Your wings are actually a lot more useful than you think it is." She managed to pinpoint the direction of the voice and when she turned to face it, she saw a hooded figure walked into the dark alley. She debated whether she should follow the figure or just ignore it for good. She did not expect it when her guts and heart made the same decision.

She sneaked slowly to the alley, a ball of water gathered at the core of her hand. It then transformed into a longsword. Its silver blade glinted underneath the moonlight. She trod lightly until she was at the mouth of the alley. The grip on the hilt of the sword tightened as she stretched her head out to observe the dark passage.

No one. Not even a shadow.

Talking a gulp, she stepped into the alley, her ears all perked up to catch whatever voice that promises danger. She got in deeper and deeper, until she realized there was no road ahead, only a brick wall standing rigidly few foots in front of her.

"My my...looking up close, you are really charming..." The words were spoken in a singsong voice, it was high-pitched, hidden with a hint of mischief.

The angel stiffened. Judging from the voices, there were at least three of them. But she was not sure, as there could be only one person that was manipulating different voices and tones. Regardless, she turned around.

The cloaked figure stood in front of her. The hood might have covered the person's eyes but she could make out that it was a girl. Her crimson tresses fall just above her shoulder, her chin sharp and chiseled. Umi could sense her boredom judging by how her lips formed a thin line which the corner was leaned slightly downwards. If it's not faintly, Umi noticed a small fang sticking out of the girl's mouth.

Umi pointed the tip of her sword at the girl. "Who are you?"

The girl remained motionless. Even without seeing her eyes, Umi was sure she was glaring at her behind that clothing.

A hand reached to touch her cheek from behind her and Umi's breath hitched, her whole body stiffened from the touch. "And even the skin, so soft and smooth." It was the same high-pitched voice. The hand started to caress her cheek and Umi trailed the pointed nails that were moving up and down in front of her eyes.

"That's enough, Nozomi." Under the command of the scratchy voice, the caressing stopped. It was the first voice, Umi recognized.

"Aww...that's no fun. Nicocchi should come down and feel it too."

A movement on the corner of her left eye caught her attention.

It was a small girl, her frame petite and skinny. Her raven hair swayed as she seated herself on the railing attached to the window of the building next to her, her feet dangling as she looked down at Umi.

"What are you staring at? Don't tell me you're thinking that I'm a little girl! Just to let you know, I'm 463 years older than you!" The girl sitting 3 feet above her huffed. She then jumped down from the railing and hit the floor soundlessly. She strode towards Umi and paused an arm stretch distance in front of the angel. The devil narrowed her deep blood-red eyes at Umi. If Umi was less conscious, she would have been drowned into that pool of crimson.

"I hate to admit it but you're right, Nozomi, she is gorgeous." It was almost ridiculous for Umi to blush under this situation.

The angel coughed two breathes. "Who are you guys? What do you need from me?" She tried to raise her sword but gasped when she lifted nothing to the air. She looked at her hand, her sword was gone.

"Wha-"

"If we are going to negotiate, weapon is not needed." said the smoky voice. Umi looked to her left and saw the cloaked figure leaning against the wall with arm crossed in front of her chest, her hood no longer concealing her face. Umi noticed the pair of amethysts narrowed slightly when their eyes met.

Umi witnessed the crimson-haired devil picked up her sword and burned it in her palm to ashes.

"Now let's get back to business. I'm gonna make this short so I'll get to the main point." The black-haired devil took off her hood, revealing two sharp and sturdy black horns on her head.

"Give us your wings. We'll trade you with something nice in return."

Umi's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by that, devil?"

Nico rolled her eyes. "Duh! Just like what I said, let us have your wings and we will grant you something you want. Something that you need very bad." Nico emphasized the last part which made Umi's heart flickered.

Something that she needed very bad? What possibly could it b-

"We know what you desire~ Pity girl...you can't get the heart of the one you loved because someone else beat you to it..." The purple-haired witch, which Umi presumed to be Nozomi, faked a sympathized smile at her.

The scene of Kotori linking hands with the ginger-haired man replayed and replayed in her mind. The more she thought of it, the more she felt her chest heating up. The same feeling flooded back into her like the other day. She wanted Kotori, but it was not the same case with the painter. She could have been with her instead of that guy. She could have been the one holding her hand. There was no one to blame but her. It was all just because she was an angel, and a girl on top of that.

A wicked grin opened up at the lips of the little devil. "Now you know what you need. Can I assume that deal is accepted?"

The angel remained silent but she did not opposed. She answered Nico with a cold and desperate stare.

"Very well then, angel."

Nico lifted her hand in the air and dark magic from the surrounding converged to it. She then placed her palm against the blunette's chest.

A wave of heat surged through her entire body. She could feel fire swimming in her bloodstream. She let out a pained growl when the heat accumulated at her back. It arched in pain as she felt her wings started to pull at her skin. The agonizing scream roared from the alley until it died down a few minutes later.

Her vision blurred as she dropped onto her knees. She could see black and white spots appearing and disappearing in her vision as she felt her consciousness seeping away.

The last thing she remembered before she passed out was the pair of wings on the ground, puddle of blood sticking to the part where it was detached from her skin.

It was a proof, a proof that she had made a deal with a devil.

A proof that she was no longer Sonoda Umi.

* * *

 **This has gone darker than I thought it would. And I'm sure somewhere in the story Umi had OOC. (Forgive me for that )**

 **So here's our bad guys~**

 **\- The reason I choose Nozomi as a witch is because of how she is connected to the spiritual world. Might as well give her something similar.**

 **\- Nico is definitely a green light for the role as a little devil 'cause she had that cranky personality (tho we all knw that she is actually very kind and caring). And the card of Nico in that devil costume in JP SIF definitely got me in the heart.**

 **-As for the reason I chose Maki is umm...out of nowhere. I don't know, it's like Maki being the bad guy makes her more badass.**

 **So, that's it for this chapter. As usual, thanks for reading. Comments are welcomed. ;D**

 ** _Adios!_**


	4. Lust

**Disclaimers: All the characters are from Love Live! School Idol Festival.**

* * *

"Kotori-chan!"

Upon hearing her name, she turned around to see a brown-haired girl waving at her from a distance. Kotori sighed under her breath. She was thinking about something, but she couldn't remember what it was about.

"Good morning Hanayo-chan. Thank you for coming today. I'm really grateful that you and Rin came early to help out with the preparations."

" Oh, you don't have to thank us. It's natural for friends to help each other out. Beside, today's your big day. You should take it easy for now. Save up the energy for tonight." Hanayo offered a light smile and Kotori returned it.

"Kayo-chin! The truck is here!" shouted Rin behind a huge poultry truck at the entrance of L'Ancien Salle, which was known as The Old Hall. It was a property owned by the Kousaka family. Businesses and ceremonial events like dubbing ceremony and crowning for the princes were held in the main hall. The Kousakas decided that the place was the most suitable for the wedding of their son and his princess.

Hanayo responded to the call of her beloved and before she walked away, she took out a charm from the side pocket of her tunic and handed it to Kotori. "It is not much but take it, as a good luck on your life from now on."

Kotori's finger trailed the outer of the charm amulet, feeling the moon-shaped craving on the silver metal surface. "Thank you, Hanayo-chan. I'll treasure this."

The bride-to-be watched as Hanayo bid her goodbye and rushed to the orange-haired girl. She unhooked the chain and secured the amulet to her neck. She could feel the coldness of the metal as it laid against her warm skin beneath her neck.

She proceeded to take a walk at the open yard where it was free from the hustle of the workers carrying boxes and boxes of preps into the hall for the setup.

She wasn't wearing any shoes. There was no need for it when the land was clean and smooth. Her feet tickled with the brush of soft grass every step she took towards the center of the yard. She paused just beside a brook before taking a seat on the huge, damp rock. She couldn't care less about her dress. It was a common piece, and she had a bunch of them in store in that huge closet of hers back in the Kousaka's Manor.

She dipped her hand into the clear water that was flowing from the east, where the hills stood quietly in the protection of the virescent trees enclosing it. A silk of waterfall poured from the gashes of the rock face, carrying the leaves and twigs or anything that get into its path. She relaxed as she felt the small resistance of water against her palm, relishing the chilly touch of the water running through the gaps of her fingers down to the west water. There was a strange nostalgia filling her inside when she stared into the deep blue of the river.

The painter sighed. It wasn't often that she had this weird feeling. A feeling that something in her life was missing. The last time she did, she was only eight. Losing someone you treasure was never an easy thing. She had gone through lots of tear-shedding and jaw clenching moments to get out of the aftermath. It took a lot of resolve and time to look at the picture of the one you cared without having the need to breakdown. It was hard, but she managed somehow, and through that she learned to be independent.

She even thought she had acknowledged the importance of cherishing. _Yet, why is it again that I felt like I had let go of something important to me?_ Kotori wondered.

A ruffle of leaves made her stood up abruptly and she looked straight into the deep forest. She had sensed it, sense that something was watching her ever since she stopped by the brook, but she had paid it no mind as she assumed it might be a deer or two which just happened to pass by for a drink but to see that it was occupied by a human. But the sound just now was not brief, it sounded like something heavy had stumbled across a patch of leaves accidentally.

Her amber eyes narrowed when she heard footsteps.

Kotori shifted her feet backwards, ready to escape from whatever that was lurking beyond the shadows of the tree. Her breathing hastened, eyes still locked in front of her when she mentally counted.

 _Three...two...on-_

"Kotori-chan!"

"Waaa!" Kotori jumped when a hand placed itself on her shoulder. She mentally prayed to whatever god that was listening to her to keep her small body from shredding to pieces. She shut her eyes tightly, awaiting for her presumed death.

After a few heartbeats, Kotori slowly opened her eyes when she felt that her body was still intact.

A face of Hotaka grinning welcomed her.

"H-Hotaka-kun?" She was so scared that she didn't realize she said it in a small voice.

Hotaka's smile died down when he realized that Kotori's body was trembling. A sense of dread spread over him as he began spurting out apologies.

"Kotori-chan! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like this, I just wanted to surprise yo- oh no, what am I talking about?! Urghhh! I-I'm sorry, I'll do whatever you-" He was cut off by a giggle.

"Pfftt ahaha, i-it's okay Hotaka-kun, you don't have to apologize that much, I was just a bit surprised, that's all. Seeing your face, it makes everything not scary anymore."

He blinked at her dumbfoundedly before letting out a relieved sigh. "Geez, I was really frightened back there..."

Kotori hold her stomach to stifle more laughter. "My bad hahaha." She then linked her arms with his as she dragged him back to the hall.

"H-hey, not too fast!"

"Walk faster! Don't blame me if you fell down!"

She laughed at his sense of humor as he made lame jokes on the way to the hall. Before she closed the door to the backside of the hall, she stole a glance back at the forest.

* * *

Tonight the star was finite, only a few wandered about the vast night sky. Illuminated by the arcing crescent moon, nimbus clouds were hanging low, indicating a change of weather might occur sooner or later.

Yet, as if opposing the grim weather, a chorus of noises penetrated the air. The sound emitted from The Old Hall varied from idle chatter, laughter and clinking of glasses to melodic instruments like the throbbing of drums and tooting of horn. The compilation of all the sounds livened up the atmosphere, which was originally the goal of a wedding ceremony. Inside the hall, guests were congregating on the feast table, shoving world-class food into their mouths and downing jars and jars of beer down their throat.

And on the center of the hall, a crowd had gathered, mostly ladies, who wore expensive gems from head to the toes.

"What a beautiful face you have, Prince Hotaka. If you and I were not already married to someone else, we could have hit off right then."

"Gosh! Not only you are handsome, you are cute too! Oh, what I'll give just to borrow you for a night!"

"Prince Hotaka, let's go and take a picture!"

"No, he's coming with me!"

The aforementioned prince responded to all the comments and requests with a nervous laugh. Ever since all the wedding speeches ended, he was surrounded by people showering him with never-ending questions. He was fine dealing with long conversation but he started to find these constant pesterings suffocating.

He was about to burst out in annoyance if his friend didn't come to his rescue.

The pestering stopped when a man in uniform stood in front of him, the guard lowered his gaze to the women around them. "I'm sorry ladies, but I'm borrowing the prince, something urgent comes up."

That said, a clearing was made for the two of them. The guard kept his chest puffed as he turned to Hotaka, nodding slightly to signal him to follow. They made their way through the crowds and into the balcony at the left wing which was concealed by a red curtain. They stopped when they reached the railing.

Hotaka let out a sigh he didn't realized he was holding as he rest his arms on the railing. "Thank you so much, Tsubasa. I don't know what I could have done if you're not there."

Tsubasa glanced sideways at his childhood friend. "That aside, where is the princess?"

The prince scratched his head and answered. "Kotori-chan told me that she want some fresh air outside. I did offer to accompany her, but father stopped me before I could do so. He wanted me to greet his business partners."

Beside him, the guard only narrowed his green eyes. "So you mean she's out there unprotected?"

Hotaka shuddered under his friend's unapproving gaze. "Y-yes..."

"Are you crazy? Do you now how dangerous it is at this time of the day? Urghhh! You're unbelievable!" He headed towards the curtain before turning his head back. "You stay here, it'll cause commotion if both of you are gone."

The prince gulped. "Ah y-yes..."

* * *

She came back again.

She didn't know why her feet brought her back to the stream. She had a feeling something was waiting for her. Looking at her whenever it thought she didn't notice.

Taking light and careful steps, she strode nearer to the brook in her 2 inch heels, leaving the boisterous hall behind. Tonight was her big day, but she wasn't feeling any happier. There was one thing she must do. One thing she must find out tonight.

So she left the hall with an excuse of not feeling well and the need of fresh air.

Maybe it was because of the absence of light that she had walked on the wrong direction. She expected to step on soft grassy land just like the morning before but she was proofed wrong when the leg of her left heel snapped into half as it got stuck in the gap between two rocks. She managed to hold onto the branch of the small tree beside her to prevent her from falling face first to the rocky ground.

But she received a sprained ankle in result.

Her foot ached. Walking on a road of rocks was not an easy thing, especially it was done in a pair of heels. Enduring the pain, she floundered to the large rock she sat that morning and took a seat on it. It was surprisingly dry.

She placed her left foot on top of her right thigh for support as she took off the heel, wincing when the leathery wall of the heel pressed against the her ankle. It didn't need much light for her to see that there was a swelling in that area. She dipped her foot into the cold water for a minute before lifting it up again.

The next thing she did made her regretted doing it.

She grabbed a small pebble beside her and placed it on the swollen region. She took a gulp and pressed onto it.

"Arghhh!

God, she swore if there was a knife beside her, she would rather die plunging it to her heart than crying over the excruciating pain she was feeling right now.

"Are you okay, milady?"

A hand was outstretched in front of her. It took her injured foot up to rest on a knee that was clothed with a dark brown trouser. She could feel the roughness of the hand against her skin. But it was odd, she felt warm even though the touch was cold.

She raised her head and locked eyes with a boy.

The eyes, she thought, were darker than amber but lighter than chocolate. The color melted like a pool of lava. And through his gaze, she could see right through his lies, he was smiling even though he had such mournful eyes.

The smile she saw on his face, was depleted of liveliness and full of sorrow. She was drowning in his pool of brown darkness, pulling her towards the far end of the void living inside.

But she was left utterly breathless.

Kotori wondered when she had started liking the darkness.

A pleasured moan escaped her throat when he started caressing her foot. The action sent impulses throughout her entire body, electrifying every cell it surged through. She couldn't help but to throw her head back as he pressed deeper, but still maintained the pressure to a certain degree from causing her pain.

The pleasure intensified.

The world around her felt like a roller coaster, swirling her around until she could take it no more. A haggard breath slipped out of her mouth as her feet buckled. Her body no longer possessed the energy to support her weight.

She fell forward.

The first thing her face landed was soft. But then she felt something hard and strong under the fabric. It was slightly rounded and perfectly contoured. She lifted her hand to the center, feeling the rising and falling of its uncontrolled movement. There was a rhythmic beating that reverberated through her palm. She listened to the sound and relaxed.

"Milady..." he said, lifting his toned arms to embrace her. "No...Kotori, look at me."

The way he said her name made her looked at him. She wanted to know how he knew her name, but the thing she wanted to know even more was why she felt like crying when he mentioned her name with that tone. Given that she never met him before.

Or had she?

All the questions in her mind stopped appearing when she stared at his face.

The moon had become visible in the sky. The rain clouds long gone. And more stars had came out from its white shelter. They greeted the night sky and the earth with a sparkle. The moon and the stars will remain shining until the time when the sun took over their place.

And until then, Kotori wanted nothing more than to bask in the warm embrace of the young man that was holding her right now.

She didn't know who started first. But as soon as she locked eyes with him again, their lips locked too.

This sensation was a feeling she will never forget. She once tasted it, but she shoved it away. And now it was back, she will never let it go again.

He slipped his arms under both of her legs and her back before lifting her to the air in one swipe, the kiss never did broke.

She sensed that they were moving, he was bringing her to somewhere else. Somewhere far from The Old Hall.

She remembered that she was getting married today. But she couldn't care less now, she had let the pleasure overtook her mind until she couldn't think straight anymore.

She stopped thinking about her fiance that swore his loyalty to her a moment ago.

She stopped thinking about the consequences of her disappearing from the wedding.

She stopped thinking about everything the moment this boy claimed her lips.

All she wanted to think was how she is going to savour this night of sin.

* * *

 **I was so close on erasing that line between rated T and M. If such event counts.**

 **This was not how I planned to write their interaction. But damn, I don't know what had gotten into me to come up with such shameless scene. (Forgive me, Umi.)**

 **Hotaka is indeed the male version of Honoka, but I just change her name.**

 **As you can see, the story is nearing its end but I still don't how to write it. Or to be precise, how to put it in words.**

 **But no worries, I'll definitely continue this. Even if it burns out all my brain juice in store.**

 ** _Adios!_**


	5. Tainted

**Disclaimers: All the characters are from Love Live! School Idol Project. I do not own them.**

* * *

"Damn it! Where could she be?"

Pausing his steps for a short breather, Tsubasa cursed mentally. _That idiot Hotaka, what was he thinking, letting the princess walk off on her own. If anything happen to her-_ He let out a frustrated sigh. No, he will not let that happen, he was going to find the princess for sure. If not, he can wave goodbye to his post as the prince's personal guard.

He continued his search on the west side of the stream, barely avoided tripping over the rugged, rocky terrain. He had been looking for the princess for an hour and the longer the number adds, the heavier the tension of the air. It started to weight him down to the white of his bones. The night was getting older, and he had to be quick.

On top of a large rock beside the meandering stream, where a chord of moonlight speared down upon, rested a leathered heel which was peach in colour. Its unique design shone familiarity into his eyes. He knew the owner. His hand reached for the heel as anxiety washed away the relief he was supposed to feel. It was not complete, a heel without its other half was never complete. Furthermore, a snapped heel can only mean one thing.

He whipped his head around, then to the flowing water, fearing for the worst. Luckily, there were no bodies or anything that will turn this search into a nightmare. But still, there was no sign of the princess. He started to break out in a cold sweat.

In the midst of his anxiety, he spotted shoe prints on the other side of the brook. The imprints were large and broad, no doubt that they belonged to a man. Given how deep the prints sunk into the mud, Tsubasa presumed that the man must have been very heavy and bulky. But then a second thought came, and Tsubasa wished he was wrong.

The weight didn't come from a person, but two. A man and-

He didn't allow himself to finish the thought as he crossed the swallow water and trailed the shoe prints into the dark and unforgiving forest.

* * *

Umi woke up to the chirping of the early birds out in the meadow, feeling the uneasiness in the movement of his body. It's already been a week, yet he still cannot adjust to this new body, which was a lot more huge and muscular and heavier than the one before _that incident_ happened.

He shifted to the left and paused at the sight in front of him.

Under the sunlight leaking from the window, laid a sleeping figure. She was breathing in and out softly beneath the warmth of the blanket. Her fair skin contrasted the blackness of the blanket which she was huddling with. Her grey hair a fluffy mess and her shoulder bared. He knew that underneath the blanket, no parts of her were clothed. He blushed remembering last night's mischief. _How shameless!_

But he knew he did it. Done it with the girl he loved. He will keep this going on. This love that he had exchanged his wings and identity for, he will do whatever it takes to protect it. Even if it might be the death of him.

A lazy groan alerted him from his thought. He brushed her bangs that were covering her eyes to the back of her ear and whispered her name.

"Kotori, are you awake?"

The girl slowly opened her eyes a few seconds later to the boy smiling in front of her.

"Unnn...good...morning..."

She blinked a few times and yawned. She sat up, the blanket fell to her lap.

He took in the scene and felt his cheeks warmed to a degree hotter than the sun. He still feel embarrassing, even though he had already seen more than that.

Staring at his toned body, Kotori's face flushed as well when she remembered what they did last night and tore away from the boy. As if sensing what she was thinking, he abruptly looked away as well. They sat there looking at anything else but each other. The room was getting stuffy as each moment passed. There was a moment of silence before a prolonged grumble declared its presence to the occupants in the room.

Both of them turned to the sound and the girl had to cover her mouth to stifle the chuckle while he held his protesting stomach in embarrassment.

"Pfftt...w-what do you say we get dressed and go out for breakfast?" Both of them stood up from the bed, or tried to. Well, at least one of them did, while the other was groaning internally as her foot gave out to the pain and she fell back to the bed. Umi, who was picking up his clothes heard the thump and looked behind him. His heart almost stopped when he saw her grabbing her ankle in pain. "Kotori, are you okay?"

The boy hurried to her side and knelt in front of her and took her foot up to his knee. He used his thumb to massage the ankle. When he applied force to the bruised area, her leg jerked up and almost hit him in the face if its not for his quick reflex. Kotori covered her mouth and apologized frantically, "Oh! I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, it missed me anyway." He got back to the injured foot and frowned. "At this rate, I don't think you can walk just yet."

He placed her foot gently back to the floor and stood up. He put his clothes on and took his wallet from the coffee table. He walked to the door. Before leaving, he looked back at her. "I'll be back with your breakfast and a pair of shoes. What is your size?"

Kotori pondered the question for awhile. _Does he means the size of my appetite or my shoe size?_ Thinking it'll be funny for a person to ask the former, she concluded that he must have meant the later. "I'm not quite sure myself but you can take that heel as a sample, it fits just nice."

The boy took notice of the heel and laughed sheepishly, "I should have thought about that."

Smiling at her, he grabbed the heel and headed to the door again. "I'll be back soon."

With that, he left.

Kotori stared at the closed door where the boy had just left. She looked down to her own body and realized that she was still naked. She stood up slowly. With the support of the side of the bed, she headed for her clothes. Her wedding dress to be precise. It was supposed to be her wedding last night. A day to be cherished for the rest of her life. A day where a strong bond between the weds was to be formed. Yet, she had formed another kind of bond, and it's with a person that she met only a night ago.

She sighed heavily. It was a crime, a sin, to been in an affair, let alone on a day where the chaste vows were made. Her mind led her to Hotaka. He must have been so worried right now that she was sure he will go all out and do whatever it takes to find her. Even though she knew he was just gonna shout her name out in the middle of the street. She giggled sadly and lowered her head. "I'm sorry Hotaka-kun, for letting you down."

 _And for being a liar._

But apologies and guilt were no use now. She had already became a promise-breaker. She had already fallen in love with the sea boy the moment eyes were met. There is no turning back.

There was a light knock on the door just as Kotori let out an uncharacteristic sigh. She hurriedly put her clothes on and limped for the door.

 _That was fast._

The bright sun made her eyes squinted and she groaned. _Since when did she dislikes the sunlight?_ When her vision appeared to be clearer, she opened her eyes to a full glance.

Standing in the doorway was not the person she was expecting.

Kotori wiped her eyes and opened them to make sure she was not mistaking things. And yes, she wasn't. This beautiful lady was definitely not the tall and muscular Umi, though the lady in front of her was quite tall herself. She had a calm light blue eyes that perhaps capable to ease people of their worries. She also had wispy blond hair tied up high in a ponytail, which made her look like a foreigner. The smile that she wore on her was soothing, and yet strangely intriguing. Her skin was white as snow and soft as sponge just by the look. The person in front of her was an ethereal being.

"Hello there." The woman greeted politely. "Do you perhaps know someone with the name Umi?"

"Ahh, Umi-kun? He just went out to buy something. Is there anything you need from him? I can help you deliver the message." The blonde frowned inquisitively at the other woman's way of addressing the person she was looking for. Kotori noticed the gesture and asked if there's anything wrong but the blonde just shook her head in deny, saying she was just imagining things.

Kotori then realized she was being rude for letting the guest stood at the door. She hurriedly invited the woman in but the blonde just waved her hands in front of her and declined the offer, "Thank you, but it's okay, I just wanted to talk to... _him_ in person. Would you mind conveying the message that I'll be waiting at the construction site behind the park?"

Kotori nodded. "Sure, I'll do so."

Before the woman turned away, Kotori stopped her. "I'm sorry but, may I have your name so Umi-kun will know who to look for?"

The blonde looked at her for awhile before covering her mouth while she chuckled, "Don't worry about that. He'll know."

Without waiting for a reply, the lady bowed and left the inn. Kotori then closed the door behind her and went to the side table to pour herself a glass of water before limping back to the bed. Looking at the door, she thought of the blonde. Indeed, she looked like a foreigner at first glance, but then she spoke perfect Japanese. Kotori wondered why a person like her had anything to do with Umi. Then again, she didn't know anything about him. What was it that drawn her to him? Needless to say, Umi was a nice guy. But they just met yesterday. How can Kotori be so sure he was not plotting anything behind her back? It was strange, but she felt as if they had already met before this. Maybe the ache in her heart whenever Umi spoke to her would knew the answer.

She was still immersed in her thought when the door clicked open. A blue-haired boy then walked it and closed it. "I'm back!"

"Sorry for the wait. The bakery is crowded today. I had to squish my way in the line. If I were a minute too late, the chocolate manjuus would have been sold out. Let's eat while it's fresh and hot." He placed a shoe box next to the door and set the pack of manjuus onto the side table. Steam escaped as he opened it. He carefully picked the bun up and turned to the girl. "Kotori?"

The said girl responded the call with a raise eyebrow which made Umi chuckled. "Ahaha, I'm saying that breakfast is here, let's dig in before they become cold."

The two sat around the side table and began munching the buns. They also drank the instant coffee the inn had provided beforehand. Umi was contended that he was able to relish his favourite manjuu along with the company of his favourite girl. He would not ask for anything else.

They chatted while they savoured their breakfast. Umi asked about Kotori's foot and was glad to hear that it had been better.

As they were cleaning the table, Kotori made a sound which caused Umi to be alarmed and looked to her direction. "Is something the matter, Kotori? Is it your foot again?"

"Ahh, it's not that." She waved her hand in front of her to reassure him that she was fine. "It's just that I remembered something."

She threw the rubbish into the trash can and washed her hand at the bathroom. She then came out with a towel to wipe her hand before passing it to Umi. "A lady came over just now when you were out. She said that she wanted to talk to you and that she'll meet you at the construction site behind the park."

He took the towel from her and cleaned his hand. "A lady? Did she tell you her name?"

"No, she didn't. She just said that you will know it when you see her."

He frowned. "How does she looks like?"

"Hmm...she has light blue eyes and her blond hair is tied to a ponyta-"

A sharp shattering sound stopped her from continuing the description. Her eyes followed the source of the sound and landed on the tiny bits of glass scattered on the floor. She looked up and found a terrified Umi with her hands cupping the air as if something was there a moment ago and then it disappeared. His hands were trembling non-stop and he looked as if someone was pointing a gun at him.

"Uhh, Umi-kun, what's wrong?" She tried to place a hand on his shoulder when he stood up abruptly, surprising her as she retreated her hand.

"I'm going out."

"Huh?"

"Stay here and don't go anywhere. I'll be back soon."

That was what he said before he hurried out of the room, leaving a clueless Kotori behind.

* * *

 _No way_.

The air was stagnant as he swept pass the busy street. People stayed out of his way while shouting profanities at him. His breathing was uneven just like his heartbeat.

 _It couldn't be her_.

He turned left at the junction which led to the park. The sun above him was like a microwave. By the time he reached the outside of the park, he was already drenching like a madman. He had his hands on top of his knee as his back bent to catch his breath. He stared at the deep forest in front of him and thought about the probability of getting lost, but he throw away any thoughts and focused on the task.

He drove across the thick woods and came to halt when he saw the abandoned site. Observed the surrounding, a sigh escaped when he found no sign of anybody else. He then inched closer to the demolished building where piles of debris filled the land. He walked deeper into the building while being alerted of his surrounding. He noticed that there was a part of the building which was relatively in a good shape, so he decided to go inside to check it out. The room was surprisingly bright. Maybe it was because of the sunlight that shone in through the crevices on the broken wall.

With the help of the light, he saw a lady sitting on a collapsed wall with her back facing him. She was kicking the sand beneath her while her hand crumbled some of the more fragile bricks to pieces.

It was no doubt that it was her. Her blonde hair and slim figure. He knew it all too well.

Maybe it was because of the run just now, his heart was hammering against his chest as he sneaked closer to the woman, careful with every steps he took so as to not startle her.

"Umi."

He halted.

Of course she'd noticed. She must have already acknowledged his presence before he even stepped into the building. It had always been this way, since they were a kid.

Red sand fell from her palm as she opened them, letting the wind carried them to an unbeknownst place. She stood up from the debris and patted her dirtied trouser. Umi then noticed a pair of white and feathery wings emerged from her back. Its vast form flapped under the light in the dim room, making its outline luminous.

"I've been waiting for you." She said as she turned around. When she saw a man with short blue hair looking at her, she widened her eyes in shock before closing them. "I see. So that's why."

The blonde took a few steps towards Umi. The smile she had a moment ago was gone. It was now replaced with a cold and hard stare. Umi could feel the pressure under the stare and started to become nervous. He lowered his head to the ground and looked at his shadow. His brain was screaming at him to run but he remained unmoving. As if the stare had rooted him firm into the ground.

Another shadow appeared in his vision a feet away from his. He gulped as he saw the black and long contour with five protruding points at its end slowly raised from the side of the other shadow. He shut his eyes tight, awaiting for the pain to come.

He gasped when the impact hit him. But his cheek wasn't forced to turn to a side, and there was no pain from where the impact landed. Instead, he felt something embracing him and there was something wet drenching his chest followed by a sob. He opened his eyes to the sobbing blonde just below his chin.

"I miss you.." The hug tightened just as the words were said.

"From the moment I heard that y-you were...*sniff*... expelled from the f-family, I...I had been searching for you...I went to see your father and when he told me that I can never s-see you again...I...*sniff*...I.." The blonde could no longer contained her emotions. Her hand clutched Umi's shirt as she broke out into a weep. He could smell the faint scent of vanilla from the trembling figure in his arms.

"Eli..."

"T-tell me, what happened to you?"

Umi was startled at the question, but he knew he cannot avoid it.

"I-it all started out on that day. I'm sure you already met her. Her name is Kotori. She was the one that took me in back then when I was left alone after getting expelled. She treated me well and gave me all kinds of support. I was very happy that we can get to spend days having fun together." Umi laughed a bit at the nostalgic memories.

"But then, everything changed when I started to have these feelings. Every time I see her smiles, my stomach tingles. There was a burning sensation in my heart whenever I saw her getting close with someone else. It was then at a point where I could no longer control my emotions that I did something terrible to her. Something I regretted s-so much doing it...*sniff*"

By now, Eli wasn't the only one crying. He lifted one of his arms up to wipe his eyes when he tasted salt on the corner of his lips.

His other hand moved froward and slightly pushed Eli away from him, breaking the hug and keeping a respectable distance between them. But his hand still remained on her shoulder. He avoided contact with those teary cerulean eyes when he spoke. "And as you can see now, this form of mine is the result of the deal I made with the devil."

Umi struggled a bit when he stole a glance at Eli's face and found her staring at him in disbelieve. Nonetheless, he continued. "I gave my wings away in return for these feelings to be reciprocated. And it appears that they had erased her memory of me from before."

"I see..."

He was surprised and frightened at the same time when the answering voice was not the husky and broken voice he's been hearing two minutes ago. His whole body stiffened as he reluctantly turned to the new voice. Even without looking, he could sense that Eli looked at the direction as well.

There, stood the person he feared having this conversation being overheard the most. It could explain a lot of stuff but it could also made things go extremely wrong.

Kotori was standing at the entrance, hand gripping the hem of her black, laced dress. She was wearing the sandals he bought for her this morning. From the look of the darkened purple bruise stained on her left ankle, she must have been running despite the pain. Umi mentally winced at the thought. Thanks to the light, he could see the gleam of liquid at the corner of her eyes. His hand instinctively reached out for her, wanting to warp her in an embrace.

But suddenly there was a strong gush of wind beside him and the blonde next to him was gone in a blink of an eye.

"Arghh!" groaned Kotori as her back hit the rigid wall. The momentum caused her feet to lose balance and she fell onto the floor. She then felt a weight on her thigh and a hand gripping her shoulder which restrained her from moving. Almost instantly, a knife was at her throat. The tip of the sharp object pressed deeper into her skin and she can feel warm liquid trickled from the sliced opening.

"YOU!" The blonde on top of the injured girl shouted angrily. Umi tried to move but he could not bring himself to stop what was unfolding in front of him. He was too scared his mind had gone blank. He could only watched as Eli threatened Kotori.

"Everything started all because of you! If it wasn't for you, Umi wouldn't have strike the deal with the demons...If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't have become what she is right now...and if it wasn't for you...*sniff*... i-if it wasn't for you...she wouldn't have love someone else!" Wet droplets fell on top of Kotori's cheek as she stared at the shivering angel. She too, was terrified.

"What have you done to her...*sniff*...she used to be innocent...and adorable..." The blonde laughed bitterly and almost choked on her tears. "She and I used to laugh together, have fun together...but now she is laughing with someone else..."

Even when her life was threatened, Kotori didn't fail to notice the way the pair of wings behind the blonde tensed up. It appeared as if it was cowering in fear.

"Tell me..." The blonde dug her nails into Kotori's shoulder, so deep that it hurt. "What is it that you have which I don't? What is it that Umi sees in you?!"

"I...I-" Kotori tried to defend herself but no words came out of her throat.

Eli laughed again, which was a bit more quiet and dangerous this time. "No...it doesn't matter now. Since you're a hindrance, all I have to do is to get rid of you...don't worry, it will end soon...it won't hurt, I promise..."

The blonde lifted the knife up above her and positioned it directly above Kotori's heart. The sun was now above Eli so Kotori couldn't see her expression. A second later, the blonde dove the knife straight to its destination and Kotori closed her eyes, accepting what was to come. This will be her repentance for her sin against God.

It was the end, she told herself. Everything will come to an end once she let the knife end her. Umi will not have to suffer after this. And everyone around her will be happy. She just wished that the pain will come and go as soon as possible just like what the blonde had promised.

As if her wish was granted, it happened in a matter of seconds because she felt no pain. Only that when she opened her eyes, she realized that the end had yet to come.

"Stay away from her!"

The knife that was supposed to be stuck in her heart was on the floor after it fell with a clank. She saw that the owner of the knife was knocked away from her. She landed ten feet away from Kotori and the blonde groaned in pain when her body hit the concrete floor. After a few seconds of recovery, Eli struggled hard to stand up.

In her peripheral vision, Kotori saw a gun being lifted up by the silhouette standing tall beside her. It was pointed at the angel. Before Kotori could react, a gunshot was heard and the damage was done.

"Eli!"

It was Umi. He broke out of his trance and immediately staggered to the fallen angel's side. Her white wings was now drenched in flesh blood. "E-Eli...please wake up...no..no... don't close your eyes!"

Kotori didn't know what to feel now. She looked up at the person next to her and saw none other than Tsubasa, Hotaka's bodyguard. He had a smirk on his face as he walked closer to the angel. "That's what you get from hurting the princess."

Kotori had a bad intuition when the bodyguard sneaked behind Umi with his handgun. Umi was completely unaware of the presence behind him as he went on holding the blonde tight in his arms while chanting her name.

"Look at you, two-timing huh...such a worthless guy. I'm sure God will forgive me for cleaning a dirty stain like you from the world."

As Umi turned to the other man, he was already too tired to retaliate when Tsubasa pointed the gun at his head. Umi looked at him blankly before turning back to the lifeless body in his arms, completely ignoring the guard's presence.

Tsubasa grimaced as he pulled the trigger, "Tsk, impudent fool."

A second gunshot reverberated in the entire building. Followed by the gunshot, a series of flapping sound could be heard above them. Time seemed to have stopped and everything around them went blindly silent. The only sound that could be heard was the dripping of blood to the cement floor. After a few seconds, came a muffled thump.

"Pri-Princess Kotori!"

Umi watched horribly as Kotori's back with her outstretched arms went limp. Before she fell to the floor, Umi caught her.

Her black dress was now bathed in her own blood. Her breathing was slowing down and her face had been drained of its colour. Every breath she took was like a countdown to her death.

"S-sorry...I-I didn't mean to-"

"Get out..." Tsubasa took a step back when he heard the warning growl amidst the labored breathing of the former angel.

"Get out of my sight!" Before Umi even finished the sentence, the terrified bodyguard had already turned tail and ran out of the building.

"Kotori...Kotori!" The female in his arm opened an eye to him when her name was called. She lifted her hand up with great effort and placed it on his cheek. She opened her mouth and he quieted his heart to listen to her. But even as her mouth moved, he can only hear incomprehensible mutters of vowels. Seeing that she was unable to even speak, he could only do one thing.

He silenced her with a kiss.

He wasn't sure whether she was conscious during the kiss, because as he broke apart the contact, the hand on his cheek fell to the cold floor.

* * *

The world around her started to spin in circle when the bullet hit her in the heart. It was something she never felt before, as she never got hurt before she came down here. Even if she somehow got caught in situations where human normally referred them as danger, she never did felt pain because of her natural form, with an exception on which she faked pain just to tease a certain someone.

Angels were immortal beings, they do not have a physical body.

But when the bullet penetrated her, she felt resistance in that temporary vessel. There was a sudden numbness which left her feeling that the body she was residing was gone. Yet a few seconds later, a burning sensation came flaming the area that was shot. She could feel the other parts of the body getting cold and it seemed that all the warmth was accumulated in that wounded area. Then, when she felt the warmth she had started to leak out through the opening, blackness begun to appear on and off.

This wasn't the first feeling she had since she descended.

When she received news that her childhood friend was drove out of their home, she felt nothing. Nothing of what human called feelings. The only thing she knew she got to do was to find her friend. After she attained permission from the upper ranks, she set foot to Earth. Despite her being an angel, she knew something had changed during her first interaction with an earthling. She saw emotions like anger, happiness and sadness being expressed by different individual, all in their own way. They felt raw and unfamiliar to her. However, she learned about them day by day.

Sadness. The first feeling she ever had in this foreign place. She had spent days and months searching for her childhood friend, obtaining information from the locals, exploring towns after towns. Despite her immense effort, the result was not what she had been hoping for. And this greatly disheartened her.

Happiness. On that festive day, she was glad that she risked her health being wandering the market. Because if she didn't, she would have missed the blue tresses that she had grown to adore, bobbing up and down in the middle of the crowd. Even though she couldn't catch up due to the traffic condition and also her state of health - which a sane person would have spend the whole day resting in bed - , she was still overjoyed to learn that her childhood friend was in the vicinity and in a good condition.

Anger. The feeling that she hated the most. And it was only when her childhood friend was being with that meek-looking woman, though she suspected it might be the opposite. When she sees them together, she would always imagine being the one next to the blue-haired girl. But that was about a month ago, since then she had yet to encounter the two. But when she saw the woman again last night, she was being carried bridal style into an inn. But it was no big deal since she was indeed wearing a wedding dress. The angel was very sure that was the woman she saw with her childhood friend awhile ago, as her hairstyle was conveniently hard to miss. Though the only thing she failed to see was the face of the man and his features, she could only make out the black vest and the dark brown trouser.

All these emotions came rushing to Eli when she once again saw her dearest childhood friend. Only now it was a he, rather than a she.

Eli felt happy that the day both of them could come face to face had arrived, she was angry that her friend struck a deal with a devil, a devil of all thing! And she was sad to see the wings were gone.

A proof that she was no longer the Sonoda Umi Eli thought she knew so well.

But still, the blonde was relieved when the former angel chose her over the female human when they were both hurt. It had been so long since she heard Umi call her name, she felt good hearing it, though she could not hear it very clear over the blackness that was started to sink into her. She heard him shouting for her to open her eyes and stay awake. He must have thought she was going to die.

But he had forgotten what she was. She was an angel. Angels don't die from physical attack. It's just the body that she borrowed was breaking down slowly.

She heard him crying over her, she wanted so much to feel her hand on his cheek and tell him she was alright, she just needed some rest.

As she listened to the weeping, she heard a second gunshot. It was very close to her, given how the gunshot covered Umi's crying. But then the weeping really did stopped. At the same time, the warmth that was holding her cold body disappeared and she dropped to the floor again. The impact caused her to black out for awhile.

Eli knew it lasted only for a few minutes because when she regained consciousness, Umi was crying. Though she didn't know what invoked the emotion breakdown again but it was clear that he wasn't crying over her already. Since the warmth that left just now didn't come back again.

Her body was so out of energy that she cannot even spare some to lift her eyes. Luckily, her hearing still provide her the luxury of perceiving her surrounding. Unfortunately, this let her listened to the events that were going to unfold.

And Eli wished she could have a moment, just a moment, even a minute will do, to wake up and stop Umi from making that ugly decision.

* * *

The world had crumbled, his world had crumbled when the shots were fired. Just in a short five minutes, he had lost two of his most important person, and lost the meaning of life in this world.

Everything he had worked so hard for, had sacrificed to protect, vanished within the pull of a trigger. No, he let them vanished, he let them die. What had he done wrong to deserve such an ending? Was it his sin against God? Or was it fate?

Either or neither, he didn't care. There was nothing he could care for now that he had killed his loved ones with his own hands, albeit indirectly. There was nothing he could do now, but to hold onto their bodies that were gradually becoming cold.

"Man, that was a touching show!"

He was so immersed that he didn't notice the three shadows hanging by the collapsed wall. But when he dragged his eyes to the shadows, they were not there. Instead, he felt them standing behind him. The auras were familiar to him, it was the same when she was lured to the dark alley. Yes, the time before she became a he.

"What do you want, demons?" came a cold voice he didn't realize he possessed them until now.

"We came to see yo-"

"Keep your mouth shut, Nozomi." Umi could pinpoint the location of the raven-haired devil when she let out an annoyed grumble after shutting down the witch, which apparently the later was just behind him. He remembered there was a third one but he wouldn't be surprised if she just stood all along without her presence being acknowledged. That vampire girl was never the talkative type.

"Ange- no, human, we wanted to check whether you needed our _help_ again." Ironically, he found hope in the words of a devil. Even though he would gladly accept the _help_ , but her kept his mouth quiet just to see what they offer.

The devil stepped and paused in front of the former angel. Umi watched as she bent down and picked a tuft of a hair from the female human and fondled with it. While the witch hopped until she landed beside Eli, she crouched down just like Nico but she didn't picked up her hair. Instead, she stood there staring at the blonde's face, she became quiet as her lips formed a thin line. Umi wondered if the witch knew about Eli, or she was just curious about her childhood friend.

After a few moment of silence and fondling and staring, the devil let go of the hair and stood up. "Now human, let's keep this short. We all know what you want, it's just what you'll offer for that."

"I have already given you my wings."

The devil gave out a laugh filled with vile. "That's the point, human. You have nothing left. "

The words struck him more that he had expected. Nothing left. He had nothing left. He was empty. He was a garbage. Even garbage had a place where it belonged. He had nothing. He was nothing.

Seeing the void look on the human, Nico laughed even louder. She feasted on despair and this felt really good.

"Aww, don't be sad, my Umi-chan. There's still one thing you could give us. And we would love it sooo much~ " The witch was suddenly in front of him. Literally in front of him. Their faces were dangerously close. Umi could feel her breath as her sharp as knife finger traveled from his lip down to his chest, which halted directly on top of the beating heart. "If you give this to us, we'll get this girl back."

Umi opened her mouth to oppose but the purple-haired witch cut in, "Of course not that pretty blonde over there. You seriously thought that she's dead? Even I know angels won't die from such attack. Hmmm...maybe I'll take her back home and...*chuckles*... make her mine."

"What?! Don't you dare-"

"Just kidding, honey." Nozomi couldn't contain her laughter as tears spilled out of her turquoise orbs. But when she caught the glare of the red-eyed devil, she silenced her mouth immediately.

Nico huffed and stared at Umi, silently waiting for her to answer. Though, the answer was obvious.

After he laid Kotori to ground, he stood up and opened his arm. "Do what you must. But I have your words that Kotori will live in exchange of mine."

All of a sudden, the sky became dark and a thick whirlpool of cloud concentrated above them. In an instant, all three of the demons were surrounding Umi. Black smoke emerged from the ground and engulfed him. He felt hands snaking over his entire body and he became very tired as result, as if the hands were slowly sucking away his life force.

Nozomi had that evil witch grin on her while Maki kept her nonchalant face all the time. Nico wore a satisfied smile as she said, "Finally, we could become one, Umi."

He took one last look at Kotori.

 _My dear, lying cold._  
 _I will spend all my life for you as I swore on that day..._  
 _My sin against God..._  
 _All my acts of treachery shall be paid by my death,_  
 _so I will die for you..._  
 _I believe, that's my fate._

Umi smiled at that beautiful face and surrendered to the demons.

* * *

 **Phew, this took me longer than I expected. Sorry for the late update.**

 **I got myself confused on some parts while writing this, but nevermind I guess I've figured it out. (maybe)**

 **I was so lack of confidence when I was writing that gunshot scene. Never shot by a gun before so I don't know the feeling of being hit.**

 **There's still a chapter left which served as the closing chapter for this story. So do not miss it!**

 _Adios!_


	6. Rotten Fruit

**Disclaimers: All the characters are from Love Live! School Idol Project. I do not own them.**

* * *

Kotori thought she was dead. Because as she opened her eyes, white and puffy clouds were staring down at her. There was an orchestra of chirping sound here and there, melodious and in sync. It was like the birds were singing, no, more like they were mourning. She chuckled in disbelief, her death was nothing worth lamenting.

But when she listened closely, they were celebrating. Perhaps celebrating that the worst had come to an end. It was so peaceful. Is this what heaven feels like?

Then she realized she was still breathing. So she sat up.

"Kotori...Kotori..."

She heard someone calling her name. It was so soft, so gentle, so heavenly. She liked it very much. It felt so real when a hand laid on top of hers. Kotori looked up from that hand and saw that person next to her, smiling ever so sweetly. She was wearing a white t-shirt, and surprisingly, a skirt. She rarely wears skirt. Kotori always told her that she looked amazing in them, but the other just shrugged it off and said that it didn't suit her.

A chilly breeze danced around them and Kotori shivered at how cold it was. The hand turned Kotori's hand over and entwined them, letting the warmth spread across her body. She relieved at the feeling as she leaned her head to the shoulder next to her. They sat there, basking in each other's presence, occasionally listened to the rustling sound of grass around them when the wind swept pass.

It was so nice. It felt so good being next to the person you loved.

"Kotori..."

"Hmm..."

"Look at me..."

So Kotori did what she was told. It was perhaps the sunlight's fault that she could not see the person clearly now. The outline of her beloved started to fade and her skin started to whisk away into the air. The warmth in Kotori's hand slowly receded. She tried to retrieve the retreating hand but she couldn't move.

She watched as her beloved's face vanished into pools of dust.

"Kotori, I'm sorry..."

When she could finally move, her hand stretched forward immediately, but her hand caught nothing but air.

"Umi!"

Her vision suddenly contorted into puddles of colour and then it was replaced by darkness swarming in like a disaster. She kept on shouting Umi's name, shouted and shouted until her throat hurt and bleed. Something was trying to pull her, deeper and deeper into the void. Kotori flailed her arms helplessly and tried to claw her way out. But there was no where to go, she cannot escape darkness when she was darkness herself.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she screamed and her eyes fluttered open. This time, she saw light.

It was so bright she wanted to close her eyes again, but feared that she might get drown in that terrible nightmare again if she do so. So she kept her eyes open, until the light became less stimulating. She was still breathing hard and her heart pounded so loud she could hear it in her ears. She sat up, her mind still groggy and her head ached like there's no tomorrow. Maybe there really was no tomorrow.

The human eye's wondered to the right and saw the blonde angel laying still on the floor. Her body was not moving but Kotori knew that she was alive, seeing that the blonde's chest was heaving up and down. Kotori scanned a bit northward up the body and was taken back when she saw the blonde crying. Her eyes were closed but Kotori could see the stream of tears rolling down the corner of her eyes. In addition to that, her face was scrunched up. She looked as if she had just lost a battle, looked as if she had just lost someone she treasured.

The last thought made Kotori's vision blurred as if the tears were contagious, but she didn't know why until she looked down to her hand.

There was a white point peaking out from her enclosed palm. When she opened it, all the emotions came cascading down on her.

She knew this love was wrong to begin with. She should have just ignored that shivering figure back then. She shouldn't have showed that much kindness and led them both into this tragic end. She had sacrificed so many things for this love, and all she received in the end was this lonely white feather in her hand.

This love was a mistake. This love, like a worm in an apple, feasting on the fruity sweetness and leaving nothing but vile in its wake. It was nothing but a fool act.

But she couldn't deny how nice it felt, how nice it was to be comforted in those warm arms, how intoxicating when that pair of lips touched hers. Now that the warmth was gone, her misery will never cease. She will have to live in the shadow of this love while embracing the dark truth, embracing the tainted heart she's now living with. Just like the black streak stained on the fair feather within her grasp.

She brought the feather closer to her chest. The only thing left of this love she could hold onto, a painful reminder of the black vow they'd made.

There was a hand on her shoulder, but it was weightless. Then came a voice so ghostly and broken, yet soft and gentle.

 _Till we meet again,_  
 _I'll be waiting..._

The human in black never stop weeping after hearing the words whispered to her ear.

 _I love you._

* * *

 **This marks the end of this story. (I know this chapter is short, forgive me.)**

 **I've listened to the song a lot of times to find inspiration but still won't get tired of it. Why would I?**

 **The song is really nice and I love the melody. It sounds extremely mysterious and well...tragic. Those who haven't listen to it yet, I recommend you to check it out.**

 **Finally, thank you for sticking with me till the end of the story.**

 **Till we meet again, ;)**

 _Adios!_


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